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Misty Elfer ~ Bio:
🎻 Ms. Elfer began her violin studies at age 3 as a Suzuki Violin Student of the Hurley School of Music in Shreveport, LA. In high school, she was selected to play in the National Festival Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, ’99, and won her first symphonic audition with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra in Louisiana, performing with a professional orchestra from the age of 16. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, a Graduate Certificate in Performance from the University of South Carolina-Columbia, and a Master of Music Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.
Through her college years, Ms. Elfer won the substitute audition with the prestigious Nashville Symphony, served in the USC Graduate String Quartet and Conducting Quartet, served as Co-Concertmaster and Assistant Concertmaster of the USC Symphony, won the audition and served as Principal Second Violin with the Saint Joseph Symphony in Kansas, performed in a Beethoven String Quartet recording for a local professional Ballet Co., Interned with the Kansas City String Quartet Program, and has performed with orchestras around the US, such as the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Civic Opera, Liberty Symphony, Opera East Texas, Augusta Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Charlotte Philharmonic, Long Bay Symphony, Coastal Chorale, Nashville Symphony, Rapides Symphony.
Since moving to Texas in 2009, Ms. Elfer has taught private lessons and clinics with various school districts such as Tomball ISD, Klein ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, as well as a guest judge and clinician with Fort Bend ISD. She has also taught with programs at Cy Fair Music and Arts, Atascocita School of Music, and currently teaches at Future Stars of Houston in the Heights, as well as managing both in-school and home private lesson studios. Previously, Ms. Elfer taught with the Kansas City School District's special Pre-K pilot violin program, Kansas City Strings, UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy, USC Community Music School, and did Pedagogical Training in undergraduate with the Peabody School of Education and additional Music Education classes. Ms. Elfer also holds a minor in English Studies, from Vanderbilt University, and studied opera in graduate school, going on to sing with the Houston Choral Society here in Texas.
Ms. Elfer loves working with students as young as age 3, with the Suzuki Method, up through All-State and college level advanced young musicians, as well as adult beginners, with experiences guiding selected dedicated students to successes, winning a high school concerto competition, gaining admission with scholarship to Music Degrees, and majoring/minoring in music studies.
She currently holds performing positions with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra, and performs regularly with Brazosport Symphony, performs with local churches, for weddings, and has additionally performed with Texas groups such as the Cypress Philharmonic, Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Galveston Symphony.
♪ Degrees Held:
•Bachelor of Music at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, with Professor Cornelia L. Heard, and Chamber Music Coaches such as John Kochanowski and Felix Wang.
•Graduate Certificate in Performance from the University of South Carolina-Columbia, with William Terwilliger and Ryan Kho.
•Master of Music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance with Benny Kim, also earning an honorary faculty nomination for the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Society.
Additionally, Ms. Elfer is registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, having completed her teacher training with Carol Smith in Nashville, TN and Beth Titterington in Kansas City, MO, as well as special trainings with Master Pedagogues Brian Lewis (UT Austin) at the Ottawa Institute, and Guest Artist Barbara Barber, in Houston.
♫ Additional performer info ~
Ms. Elfer is a First Violin Section Violinist with the Victoria Symphony and Lake Charles Symphony Orchestras, as well as freelance work with symphonies such as Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, Brazosport Symphony, Woodlands Symphony, Galveston Symphony, as well as a long time Church Orchestral Musician for Second Baptist's West Campus, as well as many other local churches, and Ms. Elfer Freelances for Weddings and Special Events, in her additional free time.
She has previously played for many professional orchestras around the US, winning Principal Second Violin Position with the Saint Joseph Symphony in Kansas during her Master's Degree, as well winnning a Substitute Violin Position Audition as an Undergraduate Student, with the prestigious Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and has additionally served in Principal Positions, as Co-Concertmaster for the USC Symphony, and Concertmaster with the USC Opera Orchestra.
Ms. Elfer has also performed with professional music groups such as Opera East Texas, under revered New York Opera Director Gerard Schwartz, St. Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, Houston Repertoire Ballet's The Nutcracker, Shreveport Summer Festival Orchestra, under Maestro Sydney Harth (Yale) and Kermit Poling (Shreveport Symphony), Contemporary Ensemble 'Musica Nova' (UMKC-World Premieres), Guest String Quartet appearance with the Kansas City Ballet, as well as other music groups, such as the Kansas City Civic Opera, Liberty Symphony, Wichita Symphony, Augusta Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, USC Symphony, USC Opera Orchestra, Charlotte Philharmonic, Long Bay Symphony, and the Coastal Chorale of Myrtle Beach, playing alongside of retired Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Violinist and Pedagogue, Gene Campione.
She also gained wonderful student experiences, playing under directors such as Larry Rachleff (Rice U/Shepherd School), David Effron (Indiana University/Bloomington), Keith Lockhart (Boston Pops), Bright Sheng, and has performed in orchestras alongside famous artists such as Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Robert McDuffie, Gil Shaham, XueWei, Glen Dicterow (NYPhil Concertmaster), the Ahn Trio, Vadim Gluzman, and Celebrity artists like Neal McCoy, Olivia Newton-John, Michael W. Smith, Veritas, Tina Guo, and many others, as well as performing on live international TV broadcasts, to over 28 countries, recorded from Houston TX.
🎶📚🌱 ~ In her spare time, Ms. Elfer Free-Lances around Houston, with string quartets, duos, and trios, and she has also enjoyed musical hobbies as a section Soprano for the the Houston Choral Society, loves learning about many styles of music and world culture, and in 2019 has started studying the Sarangi, known as the beautiful 'instrument of a hundred colors' ~ an ancient North Indian string instrument, studying with International Sarangi Master Parashuram Bhandari, who visits the US via Nepal.
Ms. Elfer also belives strongly, after recovering from tendonitis and accident-related injuries, she has invested countless hours of time and study, over the past two decades, into the physical and kinesthetic aspects of playing a musical instrument, posture and alignment, and has received training in the Alexander Technique, as well as extensive training in Chen Style Taijiquan (Tai Chi & Kung Fu), Tai Chi for Musicians, Qi Gong, Children's Yoga and Brain Games Classes, and is also a Registered Hatha Yoga Teacher (YTT/RYT 200) ~ from all of which practices, she wishes to gain additional wisdom and perspective, to be the best musician and teacher of children that she can be, always continuing to learn, study, and grow. Ms. Elfer believes that Music is indeed a Universal Language, of Joy, of Healing, and an acquired skill that teaches children so many valuable life skills and lessons, as well as developing important parts of the human brain, and building confidence, perseverance, and self-esteem, from any age or level of learning.
~ Student Testimonials ~
"Misty Elfer is a talented, dedicated young woman who I have come to know as an excellent
teacher of the violin. I have been impressed with the care, preparedness and attention that she
brings to each lesson. She is bright, enthusiastic and hard-working; quickly identifies technical
problems and addresses herself to their solution; and communicates clearly and effectively. I
highly recommend her to you without reservation."
-Brian S., Adult Student
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"Misty's dedication to teaching extends itself across a wide range of levels and to a variety of learners. She has effectively approached my weaknesses and given me tools to improve my playing in a manner that addresses my status as an adult learner. I would recommend her services to anyone interested in learning to play the violin."
-Bridget G., Adult Student
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